Affidavit No. 7922/2012

Sworn Statement

After having been warned to tell the truth and nothing but the truth or else I shall be subjected to penal action, I, the undersigned, Nasir ‘Abdul-Mu’ti Hammad al-Hanajrah, of Palestinian nationality, holder of ID No. 926746744, born on 30 December 1982, a government employee at the Palestinian Authority, and a resident of Block ten, al-Nuseirat refugee camp, the Middle Area governorate, would like to declare the following:

My name is Nasir ‘Abdul-Mu’ti Hammad al-Hanajrah. I am 30 years old, married and father of three children. My family and I live in a one-storey house, the roof of which is constructed with asbestos sheets. It has a surface area of 90 square metres and consists of two rooms, a kitchen, a living room and a bathroom. My home is located on the Abu Mahdi land, Block ten, west of the al-Nuseirat refugee camp. A number of houses and some agricultural land surround my home.

At around 9:00 pm on Wednesday, 14 November 2012, when I was at my home, I heard the sound of an explosion near to my house. I rushed out to see the cause and place of the explosion. When I was outside, I saw my relative Mahmoud Hammad Abu Sawawin, 61, walking out of the family council near to his house. Mahmoud’s house is west of mine. Mahmoud and I walked from the centre of his land for several metres to the north; towards the source of the explosion.The land is cultivated with olive and citrus trees and is located opposite our homes in a northerly direction. I heard the sound of a large number of Israeli military aircrafts patrolling the skies over the area. Meanwhile, I heard my relative Mahmoud’s son Muhammad, 27, calling us from the roof of his house. He asked about the cause and place of the explosion. Muhammad’s house consists of two storeys, built of concrete, and has a surface area of almost 300 metres. I told him we were out to see what was going on and continued to walk across the land. I reached a distance of almost 30-40 metres north of our homes, at a distance of 15 metres from an uninhabited house belonging to Insaf al-Namnam, and my relative Mahmoud was about ten metres ahead of me. Suddenly, I saw a red glare that filled the area. I felt I was pushed several metres away. Then, I fell to the ground and fainted. After I came round, I found myself at the Shuhada’ al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah. I found out that I had sustained contusions on various parts of my body, as well as shrapnel wounds on my left foot and the back of my head. My relatives, who had come to the hospital, told me that an Israeli military aircraft targeted Insaf al-Namnam’s house when we had approached it. As a result, I was injured and my relative Mahmoud Abu Sawawin was martyred on the spot. My wife Jacqueline Muhammad al-Hanajrah, 23, was wounded in the head and transported to hospital. My son Muhammad, three, also sustained contusions in various parts of his body. He received first aid in the field. My wife and son Muhammad were wounded while they were at home. I was told that my brother Hazim, 25, had sustained contusions while he was near the targeted area. Muhammad Mahmoud Abu Sawawin, 27, sustained contusions after he had left his house and walked behind us on the same land.

About an hour later, my wife and I left the hospital and went to our neighbour’s Zuheir Muhammad al-Banna, 62. My children, Mahmoud Abu Sawawin’s family, and other neighbours evacuated their homes and went to Zuheir’s after the area had been shelled.

The next morning, 15 November 2012, I went to check on my place of residence. Grave damage had been caused to my home. I saw that the roof of the house had been completely destroyed. The walls, windows, furniture and contents of the house were severely damaged. I also saw an almost eight-metre-deep hole where al-Namnam’s house had stood. The house had been completely destroyed and pulled down to the ground. The home was a small one with a surface area of about 40 square metres. It consisted of a room, a kitchen and a bathroom. In addition, I saw that the northern wall of Mahmoud Abu Sawawin’s house had been destroyed. A number of trees were also uprooted on his land.